Heritage Turtle Blanket

70781

SHOW DETAILS

The Turtle Blanket is a re-coloration of an early 1900s Pendleton design. It pays tribute to the Iroquois Confederacy, one of the oldest participatory democracies on earth, consisting of the Oneida, Seneca, Mohawk, Cayuga, Onondaga (and later the Tuscarora) Nations. The Turtle design was inspired by Iroquois, primarily Mohawk, legend. Long ago, the earth was covered with deep water and there were no people. According to stories, the birds saw Skywoman fall from the sky. As she fell, she grabbed the roots of a tree from heaven. The birds spread their wings together to save her. Only the Turtle was strong enough to hold her, so they placed her on the turtles back. There she planted the root; and as her garden grew, Turtle grew in size first becoming a large island, then finally North America, known as Turtle Island. This blanket is an example of centerpoint design in which three major design elements fall in a row down the center of the blanket.

Out of respect for our Native American friends and customers, Pendleton Woolen Mills has changed the name of some of its Native American-inspired blanket patterns. In the future, Pendleton will no longer employ tribal names to title its blanket patterns. When appropriate, we are pleased to give credit to the talented Native American artists who provide us with original designs, or tribes with whom we are working.

Heritage Collection Blankets
Pendleton history, made new again. From our archives we have chosen to reintroduce this enduring design, sure to be just as cherished today as when we first created it. Dating back as far as 1896, each blanket in the Heritage Collection illustrates the geometric motifs and weaving expertise that quickly became a Pendleton hallmark.